PRR818

Title:	OOMC for Quick Start Units
Next Group:
Next Step:
Status:	Approved on 09/15/2009
Effective Date:	10/01/2009

Date	Gov Body	Next Steps
09/15/2009	Board of Directors	Approved
09/03/2009	TAC	Recommended for Approval	ERCOT Board consideration of PRR818
08/25/2009	PRS	Recommended for Approval	TAC consideration of PRR818
07/23/2009	PRS	Deferred/Tabled	PRS consideration
07/23/2009	PRS		PRS consideration
	PRS		PRS initial consideration

Date	Gov Body	Motion	Result	Against	Abstentions
09/15/2009	Board of Directors	To approve PRR818 as recommended by TAC in the 9/3/09 TAC Recommendation Report.	Passed
09/03/2009	TAC	To recommend approval of PRR818 as amended by the 9/1/09 ERCOT comments.	Passed	0	0
08/25/2009	PRS	To recommend approval of PRR818 as amended by WMS comments.	Passed	0	0
07/23/2009	PRS	To table PRR818 for one month.	Passed	0	0
07/23/2009	PRS	To grant PRR818 Urgent status.	Passed	0	0
	PRS	To grant PRR818 Urgent status.	Failed

Status:	Approved
Date Posted:	06/26/2009
Sponsor:	Topaz Power Group
Urgent:	Yes
Sections:	6.5.2, 6.8.2.2, 6.8.2.3
Description:	This Protocol Revision Request (PRR) provides that a Quick Start Unit that is not synchronously interconnected to the ERCOT System that receives an Out of Merit Energy (OOME) Dispatch Instruction or Local Balancing Energy Instruction will be settled as providing Out of Merit Capacity (OOMC) Service.
Reason:	Topaz believes Quick Start Units provide valuable operational flexibility to effectively manage the ERCOT Transmission Grid, particularly in light of the over 8,100 MW of Wind-powered Generation Resources (WGRs) in operation and over 39,000 MW of wind capacity with generation interconnection requests. Since parts of the ERCOT Protocols were written without considering the operational capabilities of Quick Start Units, thereby inadvertently disadvantaging these Generation Resources, Topaz respectfully submits this PRR. The current Protocols establish compensation for energy up to and including the Low Sustainable Limit (LSL) at the RCGMEC. When MCPE clears (a) above the Generation Resource’s Balancing Energy Service Up offer for energy above the LSL and below the HSL (as required by Protocols Section 6.5.10(10)) and (b) above the RCGMEC, the Resource is compensated at RCGMEC on the LSL and MCPE on the energy in excess of the LSL. For Generation Resources that are not On-line and incapable of producing energy within the next 15-minute Settlement Interval, such limiting compensation is appropriate since OOMC Dispatch Instructions are issued only to Generation Resources that are shown as available and Off-line in the Resource Plan at the time of the issuance of the OOMC Dispatch Instruction. However, since Quick Start Units may not be On-line and are capable of producing energy within the next 15-minute Settlement Interval, the Resource Plan may indicate the Generation Resource as being Off-line when the Generation Resource intends on selling Quick Start Balancing Energy Service from an Off-line state. Thus, in instances that MCPE clears in excess of the Quick Start Unit’s RCGMEC, the Generation Resource receives only RCGMEC on energy delivered up to the LSL, as opposed to the higher MCPE. In the absence of an OOMC Dispatch Instruction, the Generation Resource would have responded to the higher MCPE and subsequently been compensated at MCPE for the entire amount of energy delivered. Therefore, the Quick Start Unit is disadvantaged by the greater of (a) zero (0) or (b) MCPE minus RCGMEC on energy delivered up to and including the LSL because of the OOMC Dispatch Instruction. This PRR remedies this disadvantage. Non-substantively, Topaz suggests consolidating the formula for PO, which appears four times in Protocols Section 6.8.2.2(6), to two definitions, including the language related to Quick Start Units.